Process for forming sheets or films of light-polarizing material



March 7, 1944.v

E. H. LAND I PROCESS FOR FORMING SHEETS 0R FILMS 0F LIGHT-POLARIZING MATERIAL Filed Dec. 12, 1942 Q' ED 2.; STAT.

a practice of the invention; and

Patented Mar. 7, 1944 Pitocass FOR FORMING shears ol tjrlilius" *t I I oFnonr-rommzmqrra'rsamn II a Edwin HQTLand, Cambridge, Mass 'assignor to I l Polaroid CorporatlomCambridge Masa,al cor-t Q poration oi Delaware v I. a v

' Application December 12, 1a4'z','se a 1w rear-11m a Claims.

This invention relates to processesfor forming sheets or films of light-polarizing'material.

' It is one object oi the present invention to provide a process for forming a film of light-po1ariz-. ing material by applying to a continuously movprising a suspension of'light-polarizing particles and by orienting said particles in parallelism.

Another object isto provide a process as outlined abovewhich may be substantially contin- -uous,-and particularly such a process wherein theorienting of the polarizing particlesnis carried out as said coating is applied .to the moving film. 1 a

A further object is to. provide .such a process tei'ial; for example: a cellulose derivative such as cellulose acetate or cellulose' nitrate or "a vinyl" compound such as afpolyvinyl acetal; Element ing film of a transparent plastic a coatingcom- It represents a knife'orscraper element of a suitable "metal such as steel supported by arm l8, which is inturn pivotally mounted at one end "20 toany suitable support 22, and at its otherv end it is provided with some suitable I loading means-such as weight '14,; Mass 25 represents a mixture of suitable asymmetric polarizing crys. 'tals, such for, example as colloidal herapathite', in

'a suitable'light-transmitting suspending medium,

wherein the orienting of, the polarizing particles 1 isicarried out by meansor the application of a field of force, eithermechanical, magnetic or electric, to said coating.-

.jKstill further object to provide process as outlined above which includes the step ,otllamimg applied to thefirst named film. I I

Additional objects and advantages will inpart beapparent and in part be pointed out imthe course or the following description oifseveral embodiments of the invention, .Whichareglven as non-limiting examples, in connection with; the

natinga protective film overlthe polarizingcoataccompanying drawing, inwhich :1 I I Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of apparatus suitable for carrying. out one embodiment of the invention;

. Fig.2 is a parti" l view similar to misming different apparatus suitable for'carrying out another embodiment of the process of the inven-et tion' and including apparatus for laminating a protective rum over the p'ola'rizingcoatingi" a V Fig., 3, is a view similar to Fi 2 showing anparatus fo1' carryingjout a modification of the.

processor the invention wherein orientation of Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing further'modified apparatus suitablefor usein the Fig. 6' is a view'similar to his; illustrating a modification ofqthe process or theinvention wherein orientation of the" polarizing particles 3 is carried out by meansfoi an" electromagnetic field. I

In Fig; l backingfihn l0 is'shownas passing from supply roll l2 over 'a pair of supporting rollers l4 to take-up roll l5. FilmWfmaycomprise any desired transparent flexible plastic may mi ' thepclarizing particles is carried out by means of aneiectrostatic field; I Fig. 4' is a section on the line (-4 in Fig. 3;

such for example as cellulose acetate or a vinyl compound such asa polyvinyl acetal. I

It is believed that the operation of the above I described apparatuswill nowbe apparent. Rolls 12 and I5 are caused (to rotate in the direction a of the arrows by any suitable'means, not shown, and crystal I suspension 25; is applied to sheet 1 ll 20'.

before the latter ,passes underknife l6. The

suspending mediumjfor the polarizing-'crystals-is 1 preferably chosen; initially to have an; adhesive ailinitypionfihnlll, andthe motion of the film therefore causes mass 25 to be gradually drawn Ipr expelled through theorifice between knife 16 andfilm lll and to be spread as a thin coating on said filmM At the same, time; thepressure of knife l'i against thermixture of polarizing crystals andfilm I0 acts to orient the crystals within said suspension infparallelism as the coating on film Illis drawn under thelknife; It will be un-' derstood that more than one knife l6 may be used if desired.

, [Elements 25 represent guides oi any suitable nature whichserve to limltmotion of knife is with ,respectto'the length otnlm Ill. It will be understood that there may be a pair. ofveleme'nts Z E QadJ acent each end ofjknife "l6. Elem'ent'28 represents a nozzle which be used, if desired, ior directing a stream-of air against the coating appliedto film I0. I Such an air blast may be"desir able' for the purpose of cooling the suspending 'i'or the polarizing crystals if it v is jthermoplastic, or if a j solventfhas" been used 'be used.

to render said suspending medium sufiiciently' plastic, an air blast 'may 'be. used toffacilitate evaporation thereof. It will be understood that in the latter case a drying oven may equally well 'It should be understood is subjectto-s'ubstantial modification without departing from within the scope of theinvention. I For example, it is not essential that the suspend ing medium for the polarizing crystals bond permanentlyto film Ill. Itmay under-some cirthatthe above process:

Fig. 1.

vention will be apparent to thoseskilled in theart, and are to be construed as coming within the scope hereof. Y

In Fig. 2, filmfl corresponds to film I! in Fig. 1, and rolls 3! correspond to rolls H in 33 represents a portion of an lextrusion press provided with a suitable die orifice 34 containing a mixture 35 of light-polarizing-crystals in a suitable suspending medium. In the operation of thisapparatus, sheet III is caused .to move continuously closely adjacent to die, orifice 34, and the mass of polarizing material 35 is extruded thereon. Said extrusion of mass 35 results in bringing about orientation inparallelism of the polarizing crystals contained therein, andthisorienting effect is enhanced by the motion of film Ill past the mouth of press II.

At the. right in.Fig.- 2, there is shown also simple apparatus for laminating a'protective coating to the coating of polarizing material on film ll. Film 38 represents a suitable'transparent plastic film, which may, forexample, be of the same material as film ill. Coated film l and film 36 are both caused to run between a pair of pressure. rolls 38, which maybe formed of any suitable material such as rubber. If mass SI is still sufiiciently plastic, no additional adof said material is applied to one or both surpolarizing particles is brought about through faces of film 50 in passing through orifice l2.

Fig. 6 illustrates a. modification of the process of the invention wherein orientation of the the operation oi an electromagnetic field of force. Backing film it is guided by means of rollers 82 through a tank 64 containing a relal5" tively fiuid suspension 65 of polarizing crystals in' heterogeneous orientation. After emerging hesive means maybe needed, the pressure of.

rolls 8| alone being sufilcient to bring about bonding to film. as. Adhesion may beiacilitated, if desired, by the addition of a small quantity of suitable solvent or softeningagent for the suspending medium for the polarizing' crystals; and means for supplying said solvent are shown diagrammatically as comprising a suitable hopper 39. If a thermoplastic suspending medium for the polarizing'crystalsis used, the lamination may be brought about by heat and pressure, as for example by using heated metal rolls at 3!.

Figs. 3 and 4 show apparatus for the same purpose as that described above ,but'including means for bringing about orientation of polarizing crystals through the operation of an electrostatic field of force. Backing film I0 is guided by means of rollers, 12 through a tank M containing a relatively fluid suspension 45 of polarizing crystals. Electrodes 46' are positioned on opposite sides within tank 44 and setup an elec trostatic field through suspension 45 which causes the crystals to" orient as illustrated by the dashes in Fig. 4. As film passes. through tank 44, suspension tends to adhere thereto, and it the motion of film I0 is sufiiclently slow, a coating of said material will adhere thereto without destroying the orientation of the crystals in said coating. It will be understood that the coating thus acquired may be hardened in any suitableway, as explained above in connection with Fig. l. g

Fig. 5 shows further modified apparatus for carrying out the process of the invention. Film 50 corresponds to sheets l0 and 10 in .Figs. 1 and 2, and it is shown as passing through the thelike similar to Jet 28 in Fig. 1.

from the tank,.film 60 passes over a roller It on each side of which there is positioned one of a pair of poles 68 of a suitable electromagnet which create a magnetic field parallel to the lengthoi film 60 and thereby cause the crystals in the coating deposited. therein to orient as .the coating hardens. .It will be apparent that hardening of the coating may be facilitated, if desired, by the provision of suitable .air lets or It is to be understood that all of the above described devices are given merely as illustrative ofsuitable apparatus for carrying out the proces of the invention. The process may be carried out in many other ways and with many diiferent forms of apparatus, and it is accordingly to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific devices shown.

body which includes the steps of advancing a sheet of transparent supporting material, simultaneouslyapplying to a surface oi said sheet a coating of a suspending medium having dispersed therethrough a mass 01' colloidal dichroic particles and containing a solvent, orienting by extrusion the polarizing axes of said particles in substantial parallelism prior to its application to said sheet of transparent material, and evaporating said solvent from said coating to cause said coating to set with said particles in perma- Snent alignment and permanently secured to said base.

3. The process of making a light-polarizirz 7 body. which includes the steps of unwinding a roll of flexible, transparent material and applying to ll body which comprises forming a plastic suspension of dichroic crystals of asymmetric contour and containing a solvent, expelling said suspension through an orifice upon a moving transparent film to produce a coating of oriented crystals permanently secured to said film at the point of application to said film, and evaporating said solvent to set said suspension with said crystals in oriented position.

5. The process of making a light-polarizing body which includes the steps of forming a plastic suspension of dichroic crystals of asymmetric contour, orienting by extrusion the polarizing axes of said crystals in substantial parallelism, applying a coating of said suspension of oriented crystals to an advancing sheet of transparent supporting material, setting said coating with said crystals in oriented position upon said advancing supporting material and permanently secured thereto, and applying to said coating a transparent protective lamina.

6. The process of making a light-polarizing body which comprises forming a bath of material having embedded therein crystals of asymmetric contour, applying an electric field to said bath to orient said crystals in alignment, then depositing said oriented crystals suspended in said material and in the same alignment they possess in said bath upon a moving transparent base to form a coating for permanent association with said base.

7. The process of making a light-polarizing body which includes the steps of advancing a transparent base material coated with a plastic suspension of dichroic particles and which suspension contains a solvent, subjecting said suspension in its plastic state to a field of force while said base material is advancing to thereby cause said particles to align in parallelism,-evaporating from said aligned suspension on said base said solvent to produce setting of said suspension with said dichroic particles in alignment and permanently secured 'to said base, and applying to said suspension a transparent protective 1amina by heat and pressure.

8. The process of making a light-polarizing body which includes the steps of advancing a transparent base material coated with a plastic suspension of dichroic crystals and which suspension contains a solvent, orienting the crystals in said suspension in its plastic state by applying a field of force thereto while said base material is advancing, and while said crystals are oriented,

upon said base simultaneously evaporating from said suspension said solvent to cause said suspension to set with said crystals in permanent alignment and permanently secured to said base. 9. The process of making a. light-polarizing body which includes the steps of advancing a transparent base material, coating said base material with a plastic suspension of polarizing crystals and which suspension contains a solvent, orienting the crystals in said suspension in its plastic state at the point ofapplication to said base material by applying a field of force thereto while said base material is advancing, and while said crystals are oriented upon said base simultaneously evaporating from said suspension said solvent to cause said suspension to set with said crystals in permanent alignment and perma' nently secured to said base.

10. The process of making a light-polarizing body which includes the steps of unwinding a roll of flexible, transparent material and applying to a surface of said material as it is moving in permanently secured relation thereto a coating comprising a suspending medium of a vinyl compound material having dispersed therethrough a mass of light-polarizing particles, and orienting said particles with their polarizing axes in substantial parallelism at the point or application of said coating to said transparent material by subjecting the particles to a field of force to-which they are responsive.

EDWIN H. LAND. 

